Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, University of Zanjan, Zanjan, Iran.
Family Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran.
J Psychiatr Res. 2024 Jul;175:170-182. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2024.05.020. Epub 2024 May 9.
Ending a romantic relationship is one of the most painful losses an adult experience. Neuroimaging studies suggest that there is a neuropsychological link between breakup experiences and bereaved individuals, and that specific prefrontal regions are involved. The aim of this study was to determine whether enhancement of left DLPFC and right VLPFC activity with a novel intensified anodal transcranial direct current stimulation protocol reduces core symptoms of love trauma syndrome (LTS) and improves treatment-related variables.
In this randomized, sham-controlled, single-blind parallel trial, we assessed the efficacy of an intensified anodal stimulation protocol (20 min, twice-daily sessions with 20 min intervals, 5 consecutive days) with two montages (left DLPFC vs right VLPFC) to reduce love trauma symptoms. 36 participants with love trauma syndrome were randomized in three tDCS condition (left DLPFC, right VLPFC, sham stimulation). LTS symptoms, treatment-related outcome variables (depressive state, anxiety, emotion regulation, positive and negative affect), and cognitive functions were assessed before, right after, and one month after intervention.
Both DLPFC and VLPFC protocols significantly reduced LTS symptoms, and improved depressive state and anxiety after the intervention, as compared to the sham group. The improving effect of the DLPFC protocol on love trauma syndrome was significantly larger than that of the VLPFC protocol. For emotion regulation and positive and negative affect, improved regulation of emotions and positive affect and reduced negative affect were revealed after intervention in the two real stimulation conditions compared to the sham. For cognitive functions, no significant difference was observed between the groups, but again a positive effect of intervention within groups in the real stimulation conditions (DLPFC and VLPFC) was found for most components of the cognitive tasks.
Enhancement of left DLPFC and right VLPFC activity with intensified stimulation improves LTS symptoms and treatment-related variables. For LTS symptoms, DLPFC stimulation was more efficient than VLPFC stimulation., For the other variables, no significant difference was observed between these two stimulation groups. These promising results require replication in larger trials.
结束一段浪漫关系是成年人经历的最痛苦的损失之一。神经影像学研究表明，分手经历和丧偶个体之间存在神经心理学联系，并且特定的前额叶区域参与其中。本研究旨在确定通过一种新的强化阳极经颅直流电刺激方案增强左背外侧前额叶皮质和右腹外侧前额叶皮质的活动是否会减轻爱情创伤综合征 (LTS) 的核心症状并改善与治疗相关的变量。
在这项随机、假对照、单盲平行试验中，我们评估了两种强化阳极刺激方案（20 分钟，两次每日，间隔 20 分钟，连续 5 天）的疗效，两种方案分别采用两种刺激模式（左背外侧前额叶皮质与右腹外侧前额叶皮质）来减轻爱情创伤症状。36 名患有爱情创伤综合征的参与者被随机分为三组 tDCS 条件（左背外侧前额叶皮质、右腹外侧前额叶皮质、假刺激）。在干预之前、之后以及一个月后评估了 LTS 症状、与治疗相关的结果变量（抑郁状态、焦虑、情绪调节、正性和负性情绪）和认知功能。
与假刺激组相比，左背外侧前额叶皮质和右腹外侧前额叶皮质方案均显著降低了 LTS 症状，并改善了抑郁状态和焦虑。与右腹外侧前额叶皮质方案相比，左背外侧前额叶皮质方案对爱情创伤综合征的改善效果显著更大。对于情绪调节和正性和负性情绪，与假刺激相比，在两种真实刺激条件下，干预后情绪调节改善，正性情绪增加，负性情绪减少。对于认知功能，组间无显著差异，但在真实刺激条件下（左背外侧前额叶皮质和右腹外侧前额叶皮质）再次发现了干预后认知任务大多数成分的积极影响。
通过强化刺激增强左背外侧前额叶皮质和右腹外侧前额叶皮质的活动可改善 LTS 症状和与治疗相关的变量。对于 LTS 症状，背外侧前额叶皮质刺激比腹外侧前额叶皮质刺激更有效。对于其他变量，这两种刺激组之间没有观察到显著差异。这些有希望的结果需要在更大的试验中复制。
